Social Robots. (puppet cousins)

In 2016 the theme for our Puppet Power Conference was “Connecting Generations”. Sally Truss, Calgary author and thinker, hosted a panel to discuss Social Robots. We contend that a robot is a cousin to a puppet. A social robot is special and currently as AI expands, these thoughts from 2016 might help to frame the discussion.

Click here for the full panel notes

The potential and actuality …Inter-generational comment in a changing world…

Thinking about robots:

• Science fiction, entertainment

• Gaming

• Learning

• Caring for the elderly

• Medical surgery, remotes, soft tissue

• Arts

Some definitions

• A puppet is an inanimate object, often resembling some type of human, animal or mythical figure, that is animated or manipulated by a human called a puppeteer.

Puppet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

• A robot is a real or imaginary machine that is controlled by a computer and is often made to look like a human or animal

• a machine that can do the work of a person and that works automatically or is controlled by a computer

Merriam-Webster dictionary

• A social robot is an AI (artificial intelligence) system, such as an android, that is designed to interact with humans and possibly also with other robots.

• A social robot is an autonomous robot that interacts and communicates with humans or other autonomous physical agents by following social behaviours and rules attached to its role.

• This definition suggests that a social robot must have a physical embodiment (screen characters would be excluded).

• A social robot may be remotely controlled, perhaps serving as a telepresence representa*ve at a business meeting or in the home or as a companion in a healthcare facility.

• Other social robots are autonomous systems with local AI that allows them to interact independently in response to cues from people and things in their environment.

• Such robots are sometimes called smart robots.

Social robot - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A final definition

A robot is a mechanical or virtual artificial agent, usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by a computer program or electronic circuitry. Robots can be autonomous or semiautonomous and range from humanoids such as Honda's Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility (ASIMO) and TOSY's TOSY Ping Pong Playing Robot (TOPIO) to industrial robots, medical operating robots, patent assist robots, dog therapy robots, collectively programmed swarm robots, UAV drones such as General Atomics MQ-1 Predator, and even microscopic nano robots.